Package and holder for light bulbs



pe.26,19s7 J.B. S ALT,JR 3,360,123

PACKAGE AND HOLDER FOR LIGHT BULBS Filed May 1, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. J- B. Ogwqgl; Jq.

J. B. OSWALT, JR 3,360,123

PACKAGE AND HOLDER FOR LIGHT BULBS Dec. 26, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 1, 1967 FIG. 5

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United States Patent 3,360,123 PACKAGE AND HOLDER FOR LIGHT BULBS J. B. Oswalt, Jr., 404 Crosstimber, Hurst, Tex. 76053 Filed May 1, 1967, Ser. No. 635,123 2 Claims. (206-65) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Specific improvements in a combined package and holder for light bulbs which includes a holder and a tubular wrapper therefor which forms with the holder a package suitable for use as an original container for marketing a predetermined number of light bulbs of selected sizes, as desired.

This invention relates to a package and holder for light bulbs, and it concerns more particularly certain specific improvements, as hereinafter described, in a combined package and holder for light bulbs which includes a holder and a tubular wrapper therefor which forms with the holder a package suitable for use as an original container for marketing a predetermined number of light bulbs of selected sizes, as desired.

The holder provides individual, threaded receptacles for a comparatively large number of light bulbs, which advantageously may comprise an assortment, of selected sizes most commonly used, sufiicient to supply an average dwelling, for example, whereby an adequate supply of light bulbs, for general use in replacing them as needed, may be readily obtained at one time.

The combined package and holder of the invention is characterized by its compactness and its light weight. In one example thereof it may be substantially 8 /2 inches wide, 10 inches long, and 10 inches high, and its dimensions are such that it will fit comfortably in most kitchen cabinets.

The invention relates to a combined package and holder as described in which the holder, which is receivable bodily in the tubular wrapper therefor, consists of a single sheet of comparatively stiff plastic sheet material having a pair of right angular bends, closely spaced relative to each other, extending transversely of the material near the middle thereof, and having two other right angular bends, bent right angularly in the opposite direction, extending transversely of the material near its ends, and in which the holder has a comparatively narrow, upstanding portion, of inverted U shape, having a top panel and two opposite side panels, and has a pair of oppositely extending base portions, which are defined by the right angular bends.

The structure above described is known to be old, and is not claimed herein.

An important feature of the invention is that a comparatively large number of individual, threaded receptacles, each adapted to receive a correspondingly threaded end portion of a light bulb, are formed on the side panels of the holder by deforming the material thereof, as by vacuum thermoforming.

The above mentioned receptacles are arranged in pairs. The receptacles of the respective side panels are arranged in uniformly spaced rows, and the receptacles of one of the side panels are positioned opposite the corresponding receptacles of the other of the side panels, in mutually opposing, end to end relationship therewith.

The opposing ends of the receptacles are connected, as by heating the material thereof, to form rigid joints between them whereby the side panels are spaced apart relative to each other and the structure of the holder is reinforced.

3,360,123 Patented Dec. 26, 1967 The invention will be readily understood by referring to the following description and the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a light bulb holder embodying the invention in association with a tubular wrapper therefor which forms with the holder a package suit-able for use as an original-container for marketing a predetermined number of light bulbs of selected sizes, as desired, and showing a plurality of light bulbs in place in the holder;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing separately the holder illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the holder;

7 FIG. 4 is an end elevational view thereof, showing in broken lines a plurality of light bulbs in place therein; and

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view.

Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawing, the numeral 1 designates generally a combined package and holder for light bulbs embodying the invention, which includes a holder, indicated generally by the numeral. 2, and a tubular wrapper therefor, indicated generally by the numeral 3, as hereinafter described.

The Wrapper 3 forms with the holder 2 a package suitable for use as an original container for marketing a predetermined number of light bulbs of selected sizes, as desired. The numerals 4 indicate a plurality of light bulbs in place in the holder 2.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 to 5 of the drawing, the holder 2, which is receivable bodily in the tubular wrapper 3, consists of a single sheet of comparatively stiff plastic sheet material, such as extruded cellulose acetate, for example, as hereinafter described.

The material of the holder 2, which initially is in the form of an elongated, rectangular blank which is cut to the desired length from strip material having substantially the desired width, has a pair of right angular bends 5, closely spaced relative to each other, extending transversely of the material near the middle thereof, and has two other right angular bends 6, bent right angularly in the opposite direction, extending transversely of the material near its ends.

The holder 2 has a comparatively narrow, upstanding portion, of inverted U shape, having a top panel 7 and two opposite side panels 8, and has a pair of oppositely extending base portions 9, which are defined by the right angular bends 5 and 6.

A plurality of individual, threaded receptables 10, each adapted to receive a correspondingly threaded end portion of one of the light bulbs 4, are formed on the side panels 8 of the holder 2 by deforming the material thereof, as by vacuum thermoforming.

The receptacles 10 are arranged in pairs. The receptacles 10 of the respective side panels 8 are arranged in uniformly spaced rows, and the receptacles 10 of one of the side panels 8 are positioned opposite the corresponding receptacles 10 of the other of the side panels 8, in mutually opposing, end to end relationship therewith.

The opposing ends of the receptacles 10 are connected, as by heating the material thereof, to form rigid joints between them whereby the side panels 8 are spaced apart relative to each other and the structure of the holder 2 is reinforced.

In forming the holder 2 as above described, starting with the blank, the receptacles 10 advantageously may be produced first, by deforming the material of the blank, and thereafter the blank may be bent right angularly, transversely of the blank, as by heating the material thereof, to form the right angular bends 5, 6 which define the top panel 7, the side panels 8, and the base portions 9.

The wrapper 3, which is tubular and advantageously may be for-med of cardboard, for example, is rectangular in transverse section and has length, width, and height dimensions which correspond substantially to the maximum dimensions of the holder 2.

The invention may be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit and scope thereof.

1 claim:

1 1. In a combined package and holder for light bulbs which includes a holder and a tubular Wrapper therefor which forms with the holder a package suitable for use as an original container for marketing a predetermined number of light bulbs of selected size, as desired, the holder being receivable bodily in the tubular wrapper therefor and consisting of a single sheet of comparatively stiff plastic sheet material having a pair of right angular bends, closely spaced relative to each other, extending transversely of the material near the middle thereof, and having two other right angular bends, bent right angularly in the opposite direction, extending transversely of the material near its ends, and the holder having a comparatively narrow, upstanding portion, of inverted U shape, having a top panel and two opposite side panels, and having a pair of oppositely extending base portions, which are defined by the right angular bends, the improvement which comprises a plurality of individual, threaded receptacles, each adapted to receive a correspondingly threaded end portion of a light bulb, formed on the side panels of the holder, the receptacles being arranged in pairs, the receptacles of the respective side panels being arranged in uniformly spaced rows and the receptacles of one of the side panels being positioned opposite the corresponding receptacles of the other of the side panels, in mutually opposing, end to end relationship therewith.

2. The structure of claim 1, the opposing ends of the receptacles being connected to form rigid joints between them whereby the side panels are spaced apart relative to each other and the structure of the holder is reinforced.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,453,480 5/1923 Sanders 206-65 1,871,617 8/1932 King 22915 1,884,445 10/ 1932 Wever 206-79 3,017,018 1/1962 Price 206-65 3,225,922 12/1965 Straight 206-65 WILLIAM J. DIXSON, IR., Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A COMBINED PACKAGE AND HOLDER FOR LIGHT BULBS WHICH INCLUDES A HOLDER AND A TUBULAR WRAPPER THEREFOR WHICH FORMS WITH THE HOLDER A PACKAGE SUITABLE FOR USE AS AN ORIGINAL CONTAINER FOR MARKETING A PREDETERMINED NUMBER OF LIGHT BULBS OF SELECTED SIZE, AS DESIRED, THE HOLDER BEING RECEIVABLE BODILY IN THE TUBULAR WRAPPER THEREFOR AND CONSISTING OF A SINGLE SHEET OF COMPARATIVELY STIFF PLASTIC SHEET MATERIAL HAVING A PAIR OF RIGHT ANGULAR BENDS, CLOSELY SPACED RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER, EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF THE MATERIAL NEAR THE MIDDLE THEREOF, AND HAVING TWO OTHER RIGHT ANGULAR BENDS, BENT RIGHT ANGULARLY IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION, EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF THE MATERIAL NEAR ITS ENDS, AND THE HOLDER HAVING A COMPARATIVELY NARROW, UPSTANDING PORTION, OF INVERTED U SHAPE, HAVING A TOP PANEL AND TWO OPPOSITE SIDE PANELS, AND HAVING A PAIR OF OPPOSITELY EXTENDING BASE PORTIONS, WHICH ARE DEFINED BY THE RIGHT ANGULAR BENDS, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES A PLURALITY OF INDIVIDUAL, THREADED RECEPTACLES, EACH ADAPTED TO RECEIVE A CORRESPONDINGLY THREADED END PORTION OF A LIGHT BULB, FORMED ON THE SIDE PANELS OF THE HOLDER, THE RECEPTACLES BEING ARRANGED IN PAIRS, THE RECEPTACLES OF THE RESPECTIVE SIDE PANELS BEING ARRANGED IN UNIFORMLY SPACED ROWS AND THE RECEPTACLES OF ONE OF THE SIDE PANELS BEING POSITIONED OPPOSITE THE CORRESPONDING RECEPTACLES OF THE OTHER OF THE SIDE PANELS, IN MUTUALLY OPPOSING, END TO END RELATIONSHIP THEREWITH. 